Lady Hawks even 5-3A record at 2-2 with back-to-back wins
After dropping their first two District 5-3A games against state-ranked opponents Bridgeport (10th) and Hirschi (14th), the Iowa Park Lady Hawk basketball team rebounded this past week with back-to-back wins, putting them right back into the hunt for a playoff spot.

Friday night at home, the Lady Hawks blew open a tight game against Burkburnett with a 15-5 run in the fourth quarter to win 43-33.

And Tuesday night in Vernon, it was a 14-5 second quarter run that led to a 47-39 win over the Lady Lions.

“We are where we need to be,” said Coach Jacinda Langen of her squad’s 2-2 conference record. “We have a big game on Friday (at Decatur, 6:30 p.m.) because they are 2-2 as well, beating Burk and Vernon, then losing to Bridgeport and Hirschi. It will be a big game for us, with a win getting us one step ahead of Decatur, and putting us up there with the top three.”

Iowa Park improved to 16-7 with the two recent wins. The Lady Hawks won’t get any rest following tomorrow night’s game against the Lady Eagles. They travel to Bridgeport Tuesday, and host Hirschi next Friday.

“It’s good that we came out with those wins,” Langen said. “I don’t feel like any of those games we played as well as we did against Hirschi and Bridgeport. We’ve talked about that. This is a district where you’ve got to be consistent, because at any point in time somebody can knock anybody off.

“We’ve got to be a little more consistent with our intensity, and our mental toughness,” she said. “It’s hard in a district where you are playing 10 straight games. Sometimes I like that old five-team district, where we had an open date and you could catch your breath. There aren’t any of those in a district like this.”

Friday against the Lady Bulldogs, both teams scored eight points in the first quarter, then Iowa Park outscored Burk 11-8 in the second for a slim three-point lead at intermission.

Burk tied the game after three periods 38-38, before the Lady Hawks took control with a 15-5 run in the final quarter.

Presley Gann led all scorers with 16 points, including 12 of those at the free throw line.

Savanna Braziel added eight points, while Whitney James scored six (one three-pointer), Savannah House six, and three points each from Megan Walls and Alex Newman.

The Lady Hawks converted 20 of 31 free throw attempts in the game.

In the JV game, Burkburnett defeated Iowa Park 39-26, with Blaire Untalon leading the Lady Hawks with seven. Candace McFadden added six, and Shae Sanders four.

The Frosh Lady Hawks defeated Burkburnett 35-22.

In Vernon Tuesday night, the Lady Hawks fell behind 13-11 after the first quarter, but rebounded nicely in the second with a 14-5 run to lead 25-18 at intermission.

Vernon outscored Iowa Park 13-12 in the third, but the Lady Hawks outpointed the Lady Lions 10-8 in the final quarter for the 47-39 win.

Gann led with 15 points, including a four-for-six effort at the charity line. James and Braziel added eight points each, while Walls and Amanda Fuhrman added six points each, and Newman two.

Iowa Park was five-for-nine at the free throw line.

“I think Vernon did some good things,” said Langen of Tuesday’s opponent. “They hit some three’s that were unexpected, and hit some shots that gave them some momentum. We were flat. We missed some easy shots early that could have given us more cushion.

“We also had too many unforced turnovers,” she added. “We are still making bad decisions we shouldn’t be making, and too many unforced turnovers. That’s something we’ve got to correct if we are going to be a team to reckon with.”

In the JV contest, Iowa Park defeated Vernon 55-35. Shalee Schaffner led all scorers with 20 points, while McFadden added 11 and Shelbye Boren eight.

Vernon won the freshman game 33-25.